Landmarks Calendars Three Buildings Connected to Jazz Legends to Designate as Individual Landmarks

On April 4, 2023, the Landmarks Preservation Commission voted to calendar three buildings connected to the growth of jazz music; 105-19 37th Avenue in Corona, Queens, which served as the home for famous trumpeter Dizzy Gillespie; the Hotel Cecil & Minton’s Playhouse Building in Harlem; and 935 St. Nicholas Avenue in Hamilton Heights, which was the home of jazz legends Duke Ellington and Noble Sissle.


Mayor Appoints Jimmy Oddo as DOB Commissioner; Molly Wasow Park as DSS Commissioner

On April 27, 2023, Mayor Eric Adams announced his appointments for Commissioners for the Department of Buildings and Department of Social Services. Jimmy Oddo will be the new commissioner of the Department of Buildings, and Molly Wasow Park will be the new commissioner for the Department of Social Services, after serving as Acting Commissioner since March 2023. 

Jimmy Oddo – Department of Buildings Commissioner

Jimmy Oddo received a bachelor’s degree in history from Fordham University <Read More>



HPD Announces Funding Secured to Convert Illegal Hotel to Single-Room Occupancy Units for Supportive Housing

235 West 107th Street will be converted to permanent supportive housing. The building was previously used as an illegal hotel. Image Credit: Google Maps.On March 29, 2023, the Department of Housing Preservation and Development announced that $38 million in financing has been secured to change an Upper West Side illegal transient hotel into permanent supportive housing. The property, known as the Morningside Inn and located at 235 West 107th Street, was previously operated as an illegal hotel by the owner. The building will now help provide permanent housing through single occupancy units to adults facing chronic homelessness.


City Commits $3.1 Million Over Four Years to Combat Source of Income Discrimination

On March 2, 2023, the Department of Housing Preservation and Development announced that$3.1 million will go towards efforts to combat source-of-income discrimination for New Yorkers who rely on rental assistance. Source-of-income discrimination is an illegal practice by landlords, owners, and real estate brokers who refuse to rent to current or prospective tenants seeking to pay for housing with vouchers, subsidies, or other public assistance.


City Announces New Biotechnology Center at the Brooklyn Navy Yard

On March 3, 2023, New York City Mayor Eric Adams, New York City Economic Development Corporation, and Brooklyn Navy Yard Development Corporation announced the City will open a new sustainability-focused biotechnology center at the Brooklyn Navy Yard. The $20 million center will open in 2025 and be the first commercial center for sustainable biotechnology development in the United States. More than 400 jobs will be created and supported through the center’s office spaces, research laboratories, … <Read More>